The Minnesota Vikings spent their offseason trying to solve a familiar problem: how to get better without digging a deeper hole financially. That meant navigating a tight salary cap, bringing in a new general manager, and making enough roster changes to keep the team moving forward.
It was never going to be a quiet summer in Minnesota. The Vikings weren’t a basement team in the NFC North last season, but they also didn’t play like a true threat. Even with a strong defensive showing, inconsistency and inefficiency kept them from looking like a serious contender.
That backdrop makes the reaction to their offseason all the more interesting. Frank Schwab of Yahoo Sports was not impressed, handing Minnesota a D+ for its work and slotting the Vikings at No. 19 in his countdown of power rankings for the 2026 NFL season.
Schwab did approve of one move, saying he liked the addition of Jauan Jennings in free agency. But he took issue with the rest of the offseason, including the Vikings’ draft, their decision to release some players, and the trade involving edge rusher Jonathan Greenard.
From the outside, it can look like Minnesota gave away too much defensive talent. The bigger picture, though, is that the Vikings have already added depth and fresh faces to fill those spots, and they’re doing it at a much lower cost.
That matters because the team also used the offseason to ease its cap situation and make the future more manageable. Over the last few months, Minnesota has overhauled a struggling defensive line and put itself in a better position moving ahead.
In Other News...
Vikings Fans Just Got Another Quarterback Name They Need To Track
A new quarterback name has entered the draft conversation for Vikings fans to keep on the radar, and the appeal is easy to see. The scouting report points to a passer with the kind of frame teams like, along with a resume that includes production, early-career recognition and enough starting experience to suggest he has already been tested in real games.
What makes him especially interesting is the way he wins from the pocket and outside it. The report credits him with accuracy, pocket awareness and the ability to throw on the move, even across his body, while still keeping his eyes downfield, and that blend of traits is the sort of thing that can push a quarterback higher on a board as the evaluation process tightens. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Linked To Another Secondary Fix With A Jefferson Twist
The Vikings have spent plenty of time looking for help in the secondary, and another speculative idea has them circling a veteran corner with a familiar connection to one of their biggest stars. The appeal is obvious on paper: a defender with experience, some versatility in the back end and a chance to add more stability to a group that has been searching for the right mix.
Kristian Fultons path has not been perfectly smooth, though, which is part of why any move would come with some evaluation attached. He was limited to eight games last season because of an ankle injury and multiple healthy scratches, so the question for Minnesota would be less about pedigree than about whether he can be counted on to hold up and carve out a meaningful role in a crowded defensive backfield. [Read more 🡒]
The Vikings Turned Josh Freeman Into A Disaster
Josh Freeman arrived in Minnesota in 2013 with some momentum after a strong 2012 season in Tampa Bay, and the Vikings put him in position to take over as their starting quarterback in Week 7. What followed was a rough introduction that quickly changed the tone of his stint, as the offense sputtered and Freeman never found much footing in the role.
His first start against the Giants was especially jarring, and the Vikings never got the kind of response they were hoping for in the second half. Freeman did not make another start for Minnesota after that game, and his brief run with the team became one of those quarterback detours that still stands out years later for how quickly it unraveled. [Read more 🡒]